Current location: Eveleigh
11.11am, Making my post-work plans. I went to watch my netball teams play, as I am still sport-incapacitated, and have given myself the new role of coach! I had heaps of fun actually (despite wanting to run on court myself) and it was ace to see the others.

Current location: Alexandria
11.11am, At home on the couch. After a week of being ill and not eating much since coming back from Bali, I went too hard yesterday with the eating and drinking at Jess' birthday, and paid for it today. We did go out a couple of times (to shoot hoops with Mads, and to cheer on our football team to a very nerve-wracking 3-2 semi-final win), but mostly I just sat on the couch.

Current location: Manly
11.11am, Walking to meet Jess. It's her 30th birthday, so Lou and I were on our way to meet her for brunch, with some giant 30 foil balloons, that kept getting caught on everything!
We had a yummy, long brunch, with non-alcoholic Champagne (Jess is preggers!) and cake, and then went and did a bit of shopping before going to meet everyone at the Steyne pub in Manly. We stayed there for hours, until dinner time, where we feasted on meat at Papi Chulo. Fun times with my beautiful sis from another miss.

Friday, August 5, 2016

Current location: Bali
11.11am, Checking out of my hotel, which was a shame because the salad I had last night was also trying to check its way out of my body (sorry). As a result, I spent the day trying to nap by the pool, and eating dry crackers. Not exactly the way I intended to spend my last day here, but it could be worse. In the afternoon, I dragged myself to Sisterfields to eat some muesli and then had a foot scrub. It felt weird being on my own all day, but good too – it's something I never ever do. I read so much, chilled so much, and really enjoyed it. I think I like being with other people more, because then I don't have to make any decisions, but it was actually a really fab and chilled way to end the holiday. Thank you so much Bali, what a treat you have been!

Current location: Bali
11.11am, Reading my book by the pool. Today and tomorrow I am 'on my own' in Seminyak, as the others left yesterday, and I started the day with a long and leisurely breakfast in a really cute little cafe. I lay by the pool for a while (in the shade, it's sooo hot here!) and then I heard from my friend Keno and Jmery, who happen to be in Bali at the same time as me, to see if I wanted to hang this afternoon. I did! But first I went and did a bit of shopping – my first Bali haggling experience saw me get a leather bag down from $60 to $25, which was a big win for me as I am a terrible haggler.

I met Keno and Jmery at Grocer & Grind and had a yummy lunch and smoothie, then the boys persuaded me onto a scooter (sorry Mum) and drove very safely and slowly (honestly) to Potato Head, where we had a beer and then went to a colourful bar on the beach called La Plancha. We hung out the bean bags for a couple of hours, as the sun went down, then I went back to my hotel and went out for dinner. I was feeling very proud of myself, going out to eat on my own... But it turned out I need other people to tell me not to order a salad in Bali. The next morning would remind me :(

Current location: Bali
11.11am, Watching netball. In Bali. Today was the Swifts v Firebirds Grand Final, and I magically discovered I could stream it. So I (somehow having escaped a hangover) ate the delish banana pancakes our chef made us, settled down by the pool, and started cheering for the Swifts. It was an intense game, way more than intense than I could justice to, and ended in double extra time, with the Firebirds taking the championship :(
Luckily, there are worse ways to drown my sorrows than by going out into Seminyak, drinking some juices, going to some markets, and then having a couple's massage with Mia, which ended with a rose bath. So relaxing and lovely.

In the evening, we went to a really good Italian restaurant and, as we were all starving, decided to all order two mains each. Why not?!
After dinner, the others all had to go and get their flights back to Oz :( so I went to my hotel and checked in, and then cuddled up in my maaaaassive bed and watched Britain's Next Top Model... Again, why not?!

Current location: Bali
11.11am, Having a second breakfast. This morning was confusing, but great. I woke up to Gaz throwing a Powerade into my room (he's a brilliant person to go on hols with!) to make the hangover go away. I got out of bed to find out we have a provate chef with our villa, and she was making us nasi goreng and fresh fruit for breakfast. Have I mentioned I love Bali?
We had a lounge around by the pool and then Mia and Gaz and I went for an explore and a wander. We did a bit of shopping, and then went to the most amazing cafe I have EVER been to (it's called Sea Circus and I think it's my spiritual homeland) and tried to order some lunch. But they told us lunch wasn't on until 1pm... I looked at the time, 1.30pm... Hmmmmm I was so confused, until they pointed out I was still on Sydney time and it was actually 11.30am. It blew my mind! I just gained two hours in my life, yippee, that never happens! Anyway, we settled for second brekkie instead, and then went for a cream bath. This is where they wash your hair, put conditioner in it, then give you a 45-minute head, neck and shoulder massage, then wash and dry your hair. So you leave feeling amazing!

We wandered back to our villa, Gaz brought us some Indonesian takeaway for lunch (honestly, best travel buddy ever) and then we had a chilled afternoon of napping by the pool. Life here is so good. In the evening, we got all dressed up and then went to Potato Head for a drink as the sun set. We met my friends Yee and Fiona there, who happened to be in Bali at the same time, and then the eight of us went to Motel Mexicola for an amaaaazing Mexican feast. We ate until we could eat no more, then started on the cocktails. It's an insane restaurant, that turns into a bar/club, so before long we were dancing on the stage to the best women's power ballads while Gaz stared wistfully at the groups of boys, probably wishing he wasn't on a girls' holiday, ha!

After an hour or two at Motel Mexicola, we went to La Favela, an amazing club with trees growing through it, and thousands of people squished in. We danced our socks off here, for hours, finally ending with Em and I getting a cab home at 3am, staying up until 4am chatting, and loving our big Bali night out.

Current location: Bali Bali Bali!
11.11pm, In a bar in Bali! I flew here this afternoon to meet my friends Mia, Gaz, Em, Zoe and Jac, who'd been here for a week already and I was in holidaaaaaay mode!!! I've been to Bali once before, when I was 11, so this was a pretty different kind of trip. We sat around the pool in the evening, with a Bintang (beer) until the sun went down, then most of us went off for dinner (a couple of the girls had already succumbed to Bali belly, eek!). I had a yummy chicken satay mix, with loads of lovely treats (rice and salads etc) then, all feeling pretty tired out, we went out for one drink. It turns out 'one drink' in Bali is the same as 'one drink' everyone else – ie, it doesn't exist.

We went to a bar called Rumours, which was as bad it sounds – when Justin Bieber came on, all the staff stopped and reluctantly did a choreographed dance – so after a couple of drinks, we moved on to Zappaz. Which in theory was also pretty terrible, but in practice was actually amazing! Mia, Gaz and I got on the margaritas, then got on the dancefloor, and made friends with a Helen Mirren lookalike and her mates, who were killing it on the d-floor. They wouldn't do a conga line with us though :(
We got home at about 2am, had a swim in the pool, and went to bed. Bali is great!